Blessed Are the Dead ...

Written by John Henville

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

Revelation 14:13

There are over 8 billion people on the planet and daily over 166,859 people die. This boils down to about 6,952 deaths per hour... 116 per minute. Doesn't sound too bad when you look at it this way, but did you know that over a whopping *61 million people died in 2023 alone?

Death is an event that brings with it much sorrow as loved ones are separated from each other for a season. Empty silence now echoes where rooms and moments were once filled with familiar voices and peals of happy laughter. "He is gone..." or "She is gone..." resonates sadly in the mind as reality kicks in, and memories roll as a silently playing film. And yet for a certain group of people in this temporary "sleep of death", God amazingly proclaims one of His greatest blessings!

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord …" for they shall have a place or part in the first resurrection into eternal life.  Revelation 14:13 & 20:6.  In this brief declaration, God shares something important that you may miss if you are a surface reader. The laws of opposites teach that if there are people who die in the Lord, then there are people who die outside of the Lord. If there is a first resurrection for the righteous, then there is a second resurrection for the unrighteous as well. What does that mean? Don't all people go to heaven?

Let us look at what the Bible says to qualify itself:

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2

The Bible is super clear regarding the rewards for those who die as unbelievers and as pseudo-Christians versus those who die as sincere, committed Christians. The Lord tenderly states through David in Psalms 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:13.

God holds those who love him in tender regard even in death. He gives them rest from their labor in His service and rewards them for their faithfulness. He marks the spot where they are buried and at His second coming He will ensure that they have one of the richest blessings according to His infallible promise... resurrection unto eternal life!

The Word of God says in one of the omost comforting and awe-inspiring verses in the Bible on this subject matter:

“For the Lord Himself”...Jesus, the One who breathed life in the nostrils of man and formed man out of the dust of the ground, “shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of (Michael) the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) unto life eternal.   Those who sleep in Jesus will rise from their dusty bed to immortal life. He, Jesus, will call His saints from their sleep.  Like Lazarus, (John 11: 11,14, 43) He will call:

"Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Isaiah 26:19.   

The word "dwell" in Hebrew is word # 7931-šāḵan (שָׁכַן), pronounced shaw-kan', which means to lie down and rest.  "Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:13. One inspired writer quotes, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”,(at the voice of Michael the Archangel) “some to everlasting life”- the Special Resurrection of those who died in the faith of the third angel’s message, to witness the second coming of Jesus and the first resurrection unto eternal life. Great Controversy 637-644.

Did a loved one for you die recently who lived a life pleasing to the Lord? Did they put His will and ways first, and was "Love in action" to people in all walks of life? Then lift up your head and praise God, as a flower to the coaxing of the sun. Don't live as them who have no hope. Mourn your loved one, miss them, but remember that they are "precious" to the Lord and that He has vowed to bless them abundantly at the right time...

“It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him."  2 Timothy 2:11.

Therefore, it behooves you and I, to be faithful too. Let us keep Christ as our first love. Live, work, and stay committed to Him. The death of our loved ones may have been unexpected or senseless, but let us trust God for healing, love, and power as He continues to wisely guide and comfort us in the palm of His hand. Stay focused as you wait for His blessings to be completely fulfilled. There is a great celebration coming for those who live and die in the Lord. We cannot afford to miss this long-awaited blessing. Maranatha!

*Hannah Ritchie and Edouard Mathieu (2023) - “How many people die and how many are born each year?” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/births-and-deaths' [Online Resource]